Conventional reflex sights are optical aiming sights for projectile weapons—such as rifles, pistols, and crossbows, for example—that reflect an aiming mark on a reflector for superimposition on a distant target. Typically, the reflector is spherical and partially reflective or reflective of a specific wavelength of light. Some reflex sights use a collimating lens and a flat reflector, rather than a spherical reflector. In either approach, the reflected light reaches the user's eye as collimated light, so that the user will see an image of the aiming mark superimposed in the sight's field of view in focus at all distances. The sight is affixed to the weapon and aimed so that the aiming mark coincides with a point of impact of a projectile at a predetermined sighted-in range, when fired or launched from the weapon.
Since the image of the aiming mark produced by the reflex sight is made up of collimated light aligned with the weapon, the aiming feature appears to be parallax free. That is, the user can look through the reflector from any vantage point and the aiming feature will appear stationary on the target so long as the target is viewed through the reflector.
Conventional reflex sights offer only a single aiming feature that is difficult to adjust (e.g., when sighting-in) because the aim is so sensitive to the position of the illumination source for the aiming mark and because it is challenging to implement precise mechanical adjustment devices in the miniature platform of most reflex sights. All projectile weapons require a different point of aim for shooting targets located at different ranges. Also, some projectile weapons can shoot different types of ammunition, such as subsonic or supersonic ammunition, that result in different points of impact.
Thus, although conventional sights are generally suitable for their intended purpose, they offer only a single aiming feature that can be adjusted to align with one type of ammunition in a given firearm. However, most firearms can shoot different types of ammunition that result in different points of impact because of different muzzle velocities. Conventional sights are also limited to sighting in only one distance for one projectile, which could adversely affect accuracy at distances that dramatically differ from the sighted in distance. Furthermore, a dual barrel/caliber firearm such as a double rifle or a rifle/shotgun combination firearm requires two conventional sights, one for each barrel. A conventional approach using two singular reflex or “red dot” sights in series can be used in some of these circumstances, but this solution is impractical in many applications because of insufficient mounting area for two reflex sights on many firearms, or an excessive increase in weight resulting from the use of two sights.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved reflex sight that provides for multiple spaced-apart aiming marks, thereby enabling the user to select from among the aiming marks to more accurately align the target with the projectile weapon's point of impact based on the ammunition type or the range to target. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the reflex sight system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling the user to select from among the aiming marks to more accurately align the target with the projectile weapon's point of impact based on the ammunition type or the range to target.